Thread: Pointer and Setter Trials

What was he wearing ??

thin air at the end

What were the results from the Rotorus trials

update tonight when I get the pics off the camera

some of the guys that placed in the QC event-I think Pete got first !! excellent -I left the day before with other commitments .Fantastic ground we had to run -a little like Italy

Enzo!!!

great to see a GSP amongst the fold too

SATURDAY TRIAL - 3am start from Auckland to Rotorua to a trial ground I had yet to visit at a stunning locations on the banks of lake Aitamuri .Wow its a bloody huge bright green field -mmmm a little Italyish I thought with its short grass cover and wide open expanse -except Italy isnt vivid green like the Rua .
Two trials this weekend but I have to leave same day after this to spend time with my south American Inlaw so shit another 3-4 hour trip back after a day in the sun .
On arriving a cool wind was blowing which was a good thing for the dogs and for the judges to set a positive course to get the wind on a dogs nose .

The usual bunch of keen people arrived as from as far north as Auckland and as far south as Wellington --you couldn't call a dog trialer lazy with the lengths they go to just to run 15 minutes once or if lucky till the end .
Judges today were Linda Beck and Tony Connor .
Here are some notes I took of the judges critique -not word for word but in general

The first brace was Francis Connor with Di versus Barb Applegarth with ruby-Di had an untidy start and circled off the wind a few times but then got into her stride with some very nice ranging .Ruby got off to a good solid start with good ranging and found both birds but on both occasions started creeping in on the bird-both birds released because of that .

second brace Robyn and Stella and myself with Failte . . Stella has some lovely work out the left side but missed a few areas , great report with Robyn and had a lovely back . Failte powered off to a good start at high speed , turned off the wind a bit and then came onto a really solid point -bird released and shot fired - sadly nosiness got the better of her as she wanted to check the trap out .I might add this was only her second point on a pigeon trap and it was very impressive .Failte sent packing boohooo

third brace Robyn with Tanner and Peter with Achillies .Tanner powered off for a big strong run , worked a little far forward and favoured ore the left hand side --certainly not uncommon on this day -Tanner found both birds -first bird he took a step -second bird perfect work .Peters Acky started with a back cast -again a few did this today -he missed some of the left side and dropped some pace off on the right side as he went futher to the right side of the bank . a nice stop put on him when Tanner went on Point but not busy enough today although some good cast also were done . One does have to reflect he was up against a NZ champ so you have to be really on your game plan to look better than a dog like that

forth brace Robyn and Tonto versus Rob Meredith and his Gordon Setter Banshee.Judge comment both handlers walk a little fast .Rob had a great cast with his quick little Gordon but the work was inconsistent today .Tonto nice range and pattern -Tonto finds first Bird and is Steady .Tonto finds second bird but doesn't have the pace of of the first section -found to be a little sticky when asked to road-get there tho -shot fired steady to wing and shot.!

fifth brace Dale with Roche versus myself and Inti .This was an interesting one as the judges were bloody strict and did something I hadnt personally seen when with an opponent .Roche -wow what a speed demon is this red dog -no way my nearly 10 year old dog is going to keep up with it for all the money in the world -but Roche pushes
a little to hard forward and has Dale on the whislte a little to often dropping my dog flat on more thanone occasion thinking Im giving the get down boy command -Roche come off a long forward cast and finds the bird -point with a good back from Into shot fired but Roche is pulled due to to much opposition handler interference .Them the breaks even if you get the point !!!as I was to soon find out myself lol

Next round Robyn with Stella and myself and Inti -dogs head off with Inti having a poor cast but getting into it as time went on -Inti gets the point with a back from Stella -shot fires Inti walks 1.5metres -sloppy --dogs are off again and close by each other but Inti once again is first to the point with a nice back from Stella .Interesting as the point is just under the brow of the hill and the bird is still some way off -the wind has carried the scent a distance hard onto his nose -I road Inti and as we drop down the undulating hill and he has to re-find that scent --just as Linda Beck becomes an unbeliever and says the words lift him he snapps hard on point -shot fired nice and steady .
Now off for the dead bird which again was really was quite sloppy even tho a hand delivery was done --at this level you have to have it all together on the day and Inti didn't today and he was toast even after having both finds --thems the breaks and hats of to the judges for not letting sub standard work through .

Well in the wash up was First Robyn and Stella then Francis and Di then Robyn again ..I forgot which dog

Anyway a short cut of how it went down on the "DAY" .The following day I was not there for so Peter may shed some light on that -
Enjoy the photos and thanks to Petros for getting behind the lens also !!

Uzbeki is all smiles

Goes to show that its only a pigeon trial

on the weekend 3 dogs who are linked to forum members gained a QC at the Rotorua trials, congrats to all 3 dogs and owners, but what is a QC exactly ??

It is a lawyer thing. It means Queens Council. It does have other meanings as well like Quick Chase, Quiet Cnut etc. If El B was one of them it probably means Quality Chap (said with a poncey pommy accent while wearing tweed).

qualifying certificate means they have worked the ground to an acceptable standard and pointed a bird .Qc

cheers brian, so what are they now qualified to do

it has always been a recognition that the dog has achieved a standard -to say to the handler he is on the right track -he has control and their peers recognize this .Some people think they're doing well but have no measuring stick with a young dog to know how they are doing against other animals with little experience -the qc lets them know